Ring laser angular rate sensors, often referred to as ring laser gyros, are well known. One example of a ring laser angular rate sensor is U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,718 issued to Hanse, et al., which is incorporated herein by reference. Present day ring laser angular rate sensors include a thermally and mechanically stable laser block having a plurality of interconnected formed cavities. Mirrors are placed at the extremities of the cavities for reflecting laser beams and providing an optical closed-looped path.
Prior art high voltage power supplies for laser gyros used a 2,500 VDC large external power supply placed outside of the laser gyro housing. The external supply required high voltage feed-throughs into the laser gyro housing through a high voltage feed-through connector. Such high voltage feed-throughs are expensive. Such high voltage feed-through connectors are also difficult to construct while still maintaining a hermetic seal for the laser gyro housing. Existing high voltage plastic seals can only maintain a vacuum to 10.sup.-6 Torr. In contrast, relatively inexpensive low voltage connector seals can handle a 10.sup.-9 Torr hermetic seal.
It is, therefore, one motive of the invention to provide a laser gyro incorporating voltage supply lines that can utilize an inexpensive, hermetic connector.